Samsung Mobile and SCVNGR hosting city wide mobile treasure hunt

If you happen to live in the Kansas City and are up for a SCVNGR hunt then you're in luck. Samsung Mobile and SCVNGR have announced a free, citywide mobile treasure hunt on Saturday, June 4, in Kansas City, Mo., in support of the local Kansas City YMCA.

You'll have to enter as a team of two or more to play but you'll get a chance at winning a grand prize of $20,000 plus you also get to play with some sexy new Nexus S 4G devices. If you're interested in participating, jump on past the break for the full details taken from the press release or head on over to the team sign up page, which can be found here.

Samsung Mobile and SCVNGR to Host Free, City-Wide Mobile Treasure Hunt in June

Explore with Nexus 4G will offer Kansas City residents a chance to win $20,000 through mobile treasure hunt powered by the Nexus S 4G by Google and Samsung

Participants are encouraged to make donations to benefit local YMCA’s Learn to Swim program

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. , is teaming up with location-based gaming technology company SCVNGR to host Explore with Nexus S 4G, a city-wide mobile treasure hunt on Saturday, June 4 in Kansas City. The free event will challenge Kansas City residents to fun, location-based games throughout downtown Kansas City for a chance to win a $20,000 cash Grand Prize and Samsung electronics.

Teams of two will use Nexus S 4G smartphones, provided by Samsung, to scour downtown Kansas City to compete in a series of location-based challenges developed by SCVNGR in an attempt to earn the most points and win prizes. While the event is free to participate, Samsung Mobile and SCVNGR encourage those interested in participating to bring a donation to support the local Kansas City YMCA.

Nexus S 4G by Google and Samsung will give participants access to premium features and services that will help them navigate and explore the city and compete in challenges as they hunt for the ultimate prize. Nexus S 4G comes packed with a pure Google experience using Android™ 2.3, Gingerbread, the fastest version of Android available for smartphones. Powered by a 1GHz Samsung application processor, Nexus S 4G produces rich 3D-like graphics, faster upload and download times and supports HD-like multimedia content along with a dedicated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to make playing mobile games, browsing the Web and watching videos a fast, fluid and smooth experience.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company is recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands. Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About SCVNGR

Founded in 2008 by a 19-year-old Princeton drop-out, SCVNGR has grown into a mobile gaming company with partners in over 12,000 locations. SCVNGR is played by completing challenges from your cell phone at different locations to earn points that can be redeemed for real-world rewards. SCVNGR is funded by Google Ventures, Highland Capital Partners and Balderton Capital.

About YMCA of Greater Kansas City

With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the YMCA of Greater Kansas City is committed to strengthening communities. The Y engages men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. With a history of serving the Kansas City area since 1860, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. Visit www.KansasCityYMCA.org for more information.

*Number one mobile phone provider in the United States claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, Q1 2011 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Reports.

*4G used in connection with the Samsung Nexus S 4G product name refers to the fact that the Nexus S 4G is capable of operating on Sprint 4G (Wimax) network.

I've done one of these SCVNGR events and it is a lot of fun! Ours was for a $9k ring, but it's just fun to do in general, whether you win or not! I would do this for sure if Kansas was not so far away. And even if it were for less of a prize. It's just fun to do!

I got signed up and can't wait but I sure hope they get the 4G and other general connection issues with the Nexus 4G hammered out before the event. Rather than being a showcase for how great the phone and 4G are, it could be a public demonstration of how bad the the phone currently is and that would not be great for Google, Samsung or Sprint.